A woman is struggling to come to terms with the baby name her husband has chosen for their daughter, as she can not stop thinking about its horror film reference

Finding the ideal name for a newborn can be a daunting task for many parents, with some taking months or even years to decide. One expectant mum has now shared her dilemma after her husband put forward a baby name she’s not particularly keen on for their daughter. The woman took to the internet to air her concerns, revealing that her partner wants to give their little girl a name inspired by a horror film.

Posting on Reddit’s r/BabyNames forum, she explained: “My husband so badly wants to name our daughter Clarice but I can’t help but think of The Silence of the Lambs, and that’s exactly the character he wants to name her after because he thinks she’s a badass.

“I suggested Clarisse instead but he says no if it’s not spelled the same.”

She went on: “I picked the middle names after my grandmother so I really want to let him lead on the first name so I just need some outside opinions on the name.”

Clarice Starling is the lead character in the 1991 psychological horror-thriller The Silence of the Lambs, unforgettably portrayed by actress Jodie Foster.

Originally created by author Thomas Harris in his 1988 novel, Clarice is depicted as a sharp, ambitious and tenacious FBI trainee who is recruited from the Quantico academy to assist with a high-profile serial killer investigation.

Multiple contributors recognised the link to The Silence of the Lambs, with one saying: “SOTL was definitely the first thing I thought of lol but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s still a really great name. If you don’t like it though, maybe Clarissa instead?”

Another person noted: “I mean, Clarice Starling is a badass. But if the name makes you uncomfortable, maybe there are other strong female characters he could take inspiration from instead?

“If it matters, I don’t think it’s a catastrophically unusable name. Way at the opposite end of the scale compared to Khaleesi in terms of pop culture-associated names.”

A third commenter pointed out: “She’s going to hear ‘hello Clarice’ all her life.”

While a fourth proposed: “I knew a Clarissa that was pretty cool. Or a Clair, Callista, or Charlisse… maybe something near that isn’t linked to The Silence of the Lambs.”

Personal finance guru said women who took time off work to care for children between 1978 and 2010 should check if they are owed thousands of pounds

Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning to all women aged 41-90 who have children, cautioning that they could be owed ‘substantial sums’ by HMRC.

The money-saving expert told listeners on his BBC Podcast this week that anyone who stepped back from employment during this period may have been ‘short-changed’ as a result of a significant National Insurance error spanning several years – potentially leaving them thousands of pounds worse off.

His intervention follows HMRC’s decision to stop writing to those potentially affected, meaning people must now pursue any claims on their own.

He explained: “This is about a state pension error. The reason that I’m doing it now is not because it’s new – it isn’t new – this has been around for quite a long time and the government were contacting the potentially hundreds of thousands of primarily women aged between 41 and 90 – it isn’t only women it’s primarily women and it’ll generally be of that age.

“They could be the victim of a state pension error that could mean they’re owed a fortune. The government was contacting them but then Steve Webb former pensions minister got in touch with us, with me, and said ‘they’ve stopped contacting them – they’re no longer trying to rectify this’. They’re not trying to rectify it so I’m trying to rectify it by getting it out there.”

The Money Saving Expert founder emphasised the potentially life-altering consequences, citing listener Cilla who reached out to him saying: ‘I’ve just received 15 years back pay from HMRC of £31,674 for underpayment of my state pension.’ This matter could impact anyone who left work to look after a child or someone with a long-term disability across a 32-year period, reports Wales Online.

He explained: “From 1978 to 2010 the government had a system in place to protect state pension entitlement for those people who didn’t earn enough to accrue a state pension through paid work because they had taken time off work to look after their children or someone with a long-term disability.

“Clearly in that time period it was mainly women who were doing that. It was called Home Responsibilities Protection and it should have been awarded automatically to those claiming child benefit or who’d received income support throughout a full tax year while they were caring for someone with a long-term illness.

“It effectively gave you the national insurance contributions you would have otherwise got. You need around 30 years of national insurance contributions to get the full state pension. If you’re short of years you don’t get the full state pension.

“if you’re missing 15 years, as that case study was, it’s a huge amount of money because the state pension once you get to retirement age it you’re in it.”

Mr Lewis explained to listeners which individuals were most likely to be affected by the mistake: “Who is most likely to be affected? Women currently between the age of 41 and 90, though it’s mainly women of the age of 60s and 70s.

“But it could be anyone 41-90 who took time away from paid work to look after a child or a person with a long-term disability at any point between 1978 and 2010 who claimed child benefit or income support for the first time before May 2000.

“So effectively your kids were born before May 2000. You go onto Gov.uk, you find your state pension forecast and you look if you’re entitled to the full state pension years. If you’re not then you need to check your gaps in national insurance years which you can also do on gov.uk.

“If there are gaps in your record from 1978 to 2010 these were the years you took off work to care for a child or someone with a long-term health condition. You may be missing Home Responsibilities Protection. At that point we’re getting technical in what you need to do. Go and look it up there are good guides online on what to do next.

“It’s worth checking, it’s huge money, these mainly women have been done over by a system error.”

More details on the Gov.uk website here. To listen to the podcast click here.

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The cause of death of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan has been confirmed, almost a year after he died.

Real name Terry Gene Bollea, the WWE Hall of Fame star died at the age of 71 on July 24, 2025.

At the time, it was reported that he had suffered a medical emergency at his home in Clearwater, Florida.

Soon after, it was revealed that the cause of death was a heart attack – following a history of atrial fibrillation, which is a heart condition that results in an irregular and often rapid heart rate.

On Friday, June 5, 2026, the Clearwater police announced that they had officially closed the investigation after an extensive review of evidence, witness statements, and Hogan’s medical records.

The 72-page report concludes that there was no evidence of foul play or criminal wrongdoing.

The investigation explored concerns raised in the aftermath of Hogan’s death, including those expressed by his occupational therapist, Justin McCamey.

McCamey had reportedly said that he believed Hogan may have been the victim of medical malpractice after a previous medical procedure by another surgeon.

However, examiners found nothing untoward in Hogan’s death.

In this month’s report, investigators wrote: ‘Following an exhaustive review of the statements, medical records, surveillance footage from within the residence, and a visual inspection of Mr. Bollea’s body, there has been no evidence to indicate the death of Terry Bollea was anything other than natural.

It continued: ‘Through the course of the investigation, there has been no evidence to indicate any criminal wrongdoing related to his death.’

Soon after news of Hogan’s death was confirmed, his peers and co-stars rushed to social media to share their tributes.

WWE’s official X account also tweeted: ‘WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away.

‘One of pop culture’s most recognisable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s.

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David Sullivan, who is the fifth richest person from Wales with a fortune of £1.1 billion, says he will sue the BBC

The Welsh billionaire co-chairman and majority shareholder of West Ham United, David Sullivan, has announced he is stepping down with immediate effect to fight allegations made against him.

Sullivan released a bombshell statement on Saturday, revealing allegations against him are soon to be published concerning his personal life and vowing to sue the BBC.

The 77-year-old, who made his fortune in the adult industry, denies all the allegations against him. His departure comes weeks after the resignation of vice-chair Karren Brady and the club’s relegation from the Premier League.

In a lengthy personal statement, Sullivan said: “I have recently become aware that factually incorrect and entirely false, decades-old allegations concerning my personal life are due to be broadcast and published.

“The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media. After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me. I categorically deny these claims.

“I am a private man, and those who personally and professionally know the real David Sullivan, not the caricature invented by the tabloids, know exactly who I am and what I stand for. I am absolutely not the person the media has decided to paint me as.

“I have not been provided with any proper explanation as to how these individuals or their claims were independently verified or assessed for credibility prior to publication. I believe that the entire process has been fundamentally unfair and completely lacking in any due impartiality. I will be suing the BBC for libel, along with any other media outlet that repeats any libelous allegations.

“None of these allegations relate to my more than 30 years in football; West Ham United has been one of the greatest passions and privileges of my life. I care deeply about the club, its supporters, its players, its staff, and its future. At what is already a challenging and important time for the club, I refuse to allow personal matters concerning me to become an unnecessary distraction or a source of instability.

“Therefore, after very careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to resign as Joint-Chair and Director of West Ham United FC with immediate effect.

“This has been an incredibly painful decision to make, but it is one made out of love, respect, and responsibility toward a football club and a fan base that deserve absolute unity and focus moving forward.

“I am stepping down to apply my full energy and attention on fighting these false allegations. I have officially engaged my legal team and we are preparing to issue legal proceedings in respect of each and every false complaint that has been made against me. I will be seeking full redress, legally and publicly, on every single front.”

As of yet, no allegations have been published against Sullivan in the media.

Sullivan is the fifth richest person from Wales, with his net worth recently estimated at £1.1 billion in the Sunday Times Rich List.

Born in Cardiff and raised in a Penarth council house, Sullivan earned his millions by selling pornographic content. By the late 1970s he ran half of the UK’s adult magazine market and 150 sex shops.

In 1982 he was convicted of living off immoral earnings and served 71 days in prison but he told the Standard in 2012 that he did not “feel embarrassed” by how he made his money.

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Some plants going to compost are perennials that could be used by communities

A call has been made for healthy flowers and other plants that are regularly uprooted in Belfast parks to be donated to communities and residents, rather than be thrown into the compost bin.

Uprooted plants in Belfast parks are typically sent for green waste composting to be repurposed as soil conditioner. In tourist-heavy parks like Botanic Gardens, beautiful, in-season flowers are often uprooted at their peak, as wilting plants are seen by many as unsightly.

Not only dead annuals are ending up as compost, but it appears some perennials, including bulb plants, are being disposed of when they could be maintained elsewhere in the city.

READ MORE: Designated memorial spaces at all Belfast parks to be considered

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After an elected member decision was ratified this week at City Hall, officials at Belfast City Council have been tasked to look at how to establish formal redistribution schemes that allow healthy plants and bulbs to be donated directly to community gardens and residents.

SDLP Councillor Gary Mckeown, who made the proposal, said at the last meeting of the People and Communities Committee: “A number of constituents have raised with me their observation that the occasions when plants are being removed from the parks, from the flower beds, that they appear to be on their way to disposal.

“They have opportunistically been able to avail of (some plants) for various projects. It seems unfortunate that it is the case, because often it is plants that can grow from bulbs, and can come back every year, or even rose bushes.”

He requested officials provide a paper outlining the process for transfer and disposal of plants taken from parks.

He said: “Is there an opportunity here to provide a facility for people who may be able to make use of them, in their gardens, or in entries or other projects, to give them new life, rather than just being disposed of?

“With all the work going on by the council, reimaging the city, and especially in the entries, anything that can help that, certainly if it is free, will be a positive for communities. This is a request to see what the situation is in terms of the disposal.

“I want to see if we can put in place a formal process for members of the public to avail of any plants on their way to disposal, for a new lease of life.”

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The event is part of the Darlington Annual Dance Festival, which returns in 2026 with a packed afternoon of celebration, creativity, and movement.

The festival will take place on June 20, from midday to 2pm in Market Square, and will include the highly anticipated Mass Dance 2026.

Joanne Scott, chair of the Darlington Dance Festival Association (DDFA), said: “Together Through Time celebrates the generations who have supported and enjoyed our event over the years.

The Darlington Dance Festival Association (DDFA), supported by the Darlington Council events team, has announced the return of its Annual Dance Festival and Mass Dance 2026 (Image: Supplied)

“Through music and dance from different eras, we aim to showcase the connections that unite our community and demonstrate how dance brings people of all ages together.”

More than 700 dancers from 20 local dance schools, primary schools, and community groups will perform in the Mass Dance, which starts at 1pm.

The Darlington Dance Festival Association (DDFA), supported by the Darlington Council events team, has announced the return of its Annual Dance Festival and Mass Dance 2026 (Image: Supplied)

This year’s theme, ‘Together Through Time,’ focuses on the ability of dance to connect people across generations.

The choreography for the Mass Dance has been created by artists Darrien Wright and Debbie Harbin, and is designed to bring the theme to life through movement and music that spans the decades.

In addition to the main performance, the festival will offer a full programme of entertainment and activities throughout the afternoon.

The Darlington Dance Festival Association (DDFA), supported by the Darlington Council events team, has announced the return of its Annual Dance Festival and Mass Dance 2026 (Image: Supplied)

Interactive workshops led by Urban Kaos will give visitors a chance to join in the fun, while a range of family-friendly attractions will keep audiences of all ages entertained.

These will include a retro sweet stall, fidget spinner stall, glitter face painting, DJ entertainment, and more.

Members of the public are invited to take part in the Mass Dance, whether or not they have previous dance experience.

An open rehearsal will be held at 6.30pm on Tuesday, June 9 at Centre Stage on Eastmount Road.

Anyone interested in joining the performance is welcome to attend.

The Darlington Annual Dance Festival remains one of the borough’s most popular community events, attracting dancers, families, residents, and visitors from across the region.

The event is made possible thanks to the support of its sponsors: Darlington Borough Council, Darlington Round Table, Eastbourne Community Hub, and CDB Productions.

Their contributions help ensure the festival remains free and accessible to everyone.

The Darlington Dance Festival Association said it looks forward to welcoming the public for another joyful day in the town centre.

Beyond the headline performance, the event is designed to be an inclusive celebration of what dance can offer—whether through watching, learning, or taking part.

The Market Square will be transformed into a vibrant stage and gathering place, filled with music, movement, and a sense of shared purpose.

Children, parents, grandparents, and friends can all find something to enjoy, whether they’re cheering on a loved one or joining in a workshop themselves.

The festival also hopes to inspire the next generation of dancers by giving young people the opportunity to perform in front of a large audience and experience the thrill of group performance.

For more information about the event or to get involved, contact the Darlington Dance Festival Association.

The Darlington Annual Dance Festival & Mass Dance 2026 – Together Through Time – will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from midday until 2pm in Market Square, with a mass dance performance at 1pm.

A public rehearsal will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 6.30pm at Centre Stage in Eastmount Road, Darlington, and admission to both the festival and rehearsal is free.

What would you recommend installing to make your home more sustainable?

Helen, North West

Insulation. It doesn’t matter what the insulation is. You can put it in the most disgusting petrochemical insulation ever invented but it will probably pay for itself within ten days.

What was the first thing you did to redesign your first property?

Mary-Grace, East of England

The first house I lived in was a two-up, two-down, so we couldn’t do much with it and we didn’t have any money. So I remember it had an Artex ceiling in the kitchen, which was foul. And so rather than try and rip it off, the builder said it was easy to batten over it and stick another ceiling underneath it. To this day, it probably still has two ceilings.

Then we put trendy cork tiling down, and I tiled over the kitchen worktop with some ceramic tiles. It was more of a rehash and resurfacing of the building. All the old stuff was still underneath, including that really tacky 70s kitchen.

Is there any retro style that you’d like to see make a comeback?

Mark, London

I’d really like to see modernism come back. Brutalism, is an evolution of that same idea. I’m all for a bit of rigour and architecture and design that reflects the time we’re in.

Am I interested in seeing new fourteenth-century plague pit architecture and design? No. Not really. Do I want to see the eighteenth-century – a century of cholera and bad dentistry – in my interiors? No. I want to feel that I’m living in the modern age. I want to feel that I’m living in a sustainable 21st-century world.

What are the biggest changes you’ve noticed over the years running the show?

Peter, London

Architecture is so slow that by the time you’ve been through planning and got the thing built, whatever you thought might have been fashionable then is now not. So forget it.

What I’ve noticed over the past 25 years, as we came into this century, is a change from a point where we were almost trying to reproduce and regurgitate the twentieth century, in the early years, trying to figure out what this new language would be in building and design.

What has happened is that we’ve started revisiting the buildings of the 1970s. I see that emerging more and more with soft forms, curves and arches and use of softer materials. We’re seeing more organic forms with sustainability, with highly insulated buildings, a huge amount of timber, a huge amount of engineered timber, glulam beams, Parallam beams, all kinds of structural timber that’s replacing steel and concrete, as well as straightforward walls.

And I think that’s devoutly to be wished. It feels to me as though our language for this century is going to be a far more sensitive one, a far less material-intensive one, one that is more sustainable and more gentle and a little bit more rounded.

Why are modern houses low quality?

Norman, Wales

Modern houses are really low quality in the UK because we have a delivery system based on the principle of delivering very large profits to shareholders. It’s almost the only country in Europe where volume housing places profits above quality.

It stems from ideas grown in the 1980s in politics about ownership and treating our homes as assets, as investments for shareholders and as well as for homeowners, as opposed to treating housing as a social good, a foundation of civilisation.

The UN describes housing as a basic human right, not a commodity. So I think the problem in the UK is treating our housing essentially as commoditised objects, which we buy and sell and make money on and therefore build as cheaply as possible.

It’s a complicated landscape and it’s not easy to fix at all. But if you look at other European models, they’re far more diverse. There’s much more choice of tenure, of typology, of mixing the social and the private, of model and architectural style, of greater choice of builder. You can, if you’re living in Austria, choose probably from three important, good local builders in the town where you live, and you’ll be building a house probably made out of the forest that’s over there on the mountain.

Who has been most influential in your career?

Sheila, South East

There have been so many kind and helpful people. None of us get through life by ourselves. None of us get through life by rushing or hurrying or trying to be too independent. I think actually relying on great people and taking advice and support from them is one thing I’ve learned reluctantly over my life.

I say reluctantly because when I was much younger, I was independent and determined. I thought I could do everything. I soon realised you just don’t and can’t.

The incident happened on Southmoor Road at around 9.55am on Friday, June 5.

A white Ford Ka was travelling along the road when the driver is believed to have suffered a suspected medical episode and crashed into a vehicle in the opposite lane.

The driver of the Ford, aged in her 50s, was taken to hospital where she remains in life-threatening condition.

Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is investigating the incident and has appealed for information.

A spokesperson said: “This includes anyone who saw the vehicle driving before the collision, witnessed the incident itself, or has dashcam footage of the incident.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the SCIU on 0161 856 4741 or use GMP’s Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 925 of 05/06/2026.

MADRID (AP) — Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Spain will bring the American pontiff to a traditional center of European Christianity, where the Catholic Church has a complex legacy and the Socialist-led government is in the midst of a political crisis.

Leo’s weeklong visit begins Saturday in Madrid, where upon landing he was greeted by the country’s Catholic monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. His first day ends with a prayer vigil with young people, many of whom will be witnessing their first pope on Spanish soil.

In a sign that the clergy sexual abuse crisis continues to overshadow papal trips, the Vatican confirmed late Friday that Leo would meet with survivors during his visit. The Spanish Catholic hierarchy is belatedly reckoning with decades of abuse and cover-up in the once-staunchly Catholic country.

The visit, the first by a pope in 15 years, signals Leo is returning papal attention to Europe and its Christian roots. Pope Francis largely stayed away from the traditional centers of European Christianity in favor of smaller Catholic communities farther away.

But with the Spain trip — and a day trip to Monaco in March, a quick stop in San Marino in August and a four-day visit to France planned for September — Leo is seemingly keen to bring his message of peace, unity and human dignity to a continent in the throes of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and anxiety over artificial intelligence.

Leo acknowledged Saturday as he headed to Spain that he’s competing with another VIP in Madrid this weekend.

Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny is performing two shows of his 10-concert Spanish tour this weekend in the Spanish capital.

“When confronted with the question ‘Do I go see Bad Bunny or do I go to see the pope?’ I think many will go to see Bad Bunny,” Leo said. But he said he believed others would go to see him.

But Leo will find a legislature that is highly polarized, with the ruling Socialist party hammered by a series of corruption scandals. Conservative parties including the Popular Party and far-right Vox have called for Sánchez to step down before elections in 2027, and have roundly criticized his government’s migration policies.

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Despite some expected protests of Leo’s visit — the trip is costing some 15 million euros ($17.2 million) — his speech to Parliament in particular is something of a milestone for Spain’s Catholic Church. Shaped by the anticlerical violence of the country’s 1936-1939 civil war, more recently, it has dealt with a credibility crisis over revelations of decades of clergy abuse and cover-up.

While much of Europe has secularized in recent decades, Spain stands out after it underwent a religious crisis following the 1975 death of Gen. Francisco Franco. A staunch Catholic, Franco viewed his reign as something of a religious crusade against the anticlerical anarchist, leftist and secular tendencies in Spain.

As Spain transitioned to a democracy, the percentage of Spaniards who declared themselves Catholics fell from 90% in the 1970s to just 55% in 2025, according to polling data collected by Spain’s state opinion agency. Of that group only 19% say they regularly attend Mass.

And yet there are signs of renewed interest in all forms of spirituality, Christian and otherwise, especially among young Spaniards, said sociologist Narciso Michavila Núñez, president of the GAD3 consulting firm that polls young people about their faith, among other things.

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In recent surveys, he said, pollsters are registering newfound interest in faith among Gen Z Spaniards. Michavila and others cite the popularity of Spanish pop star Rosalía’s new hit album “Lux,” which is overtly spiritual.

“The truth from a common view is not that God is in fashion. What is new in this moment, in this visit of the pope, is that God in the Spanish society is not a tattoo anymore,” he said.

A Mass at Sagrada Familia and migration message

After Madrid, the other highlights of the trip include Leo’s visit midweek to Barcelona, where he will celebrate Mass in the Sagrada Familia basilica on the centenary of the death of its famed architect, Antoni Gaudí. While Catalonia’s beloved native son is on the path to possible sainthood, no announcements on his canonization are expected during the trip, Bruni said.

During the June 10 Mass, Leo will inaugurate the soaring central spire of the basilica, the Tower of Jesus Christ, which when it was moved into place earlier this year made Sagrada Familia the tallest church in the world.

Leo will also fulfill a wish of Francis by ending his visit with a two-day stop in the Canary Islands, the Spanish archipelago that is closer to Africa than the Iberian peninsula and a key destination for migrants leaving West Africa.

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Leo will meet with migrants and the humanitarian organizations providing care for them. He is expected to toss a wreath of flowers into the sea, in memory of migrants killed during the treacherous Atlantic crossing. He’ll do so from the port in Las Palmas that in 2020 earned the nickname the “Dock of Shame” because thousands of migrants were forced to sleep in the open for weeks on end during a spike in arrivals.

Francis had made reaching out to migrants and refugees a hallmark of his papacy and Leo has followed suit by demanding dignified treatment of migrants, especially in his native United States.

“For those of us who are immigrants and find ourselves in this situation of having family far away, someone like the Pope — who is an important figure for the entire world — coming here is truly something that makes me say ‘wow,’” said Constantina Nchama, an immigrant from Equatorial Guinea in Madrid days before Leo’s visit.

“It’s something that happens once in a lifetime,” she said. “I’m very, very excited about that, truly.”

Spain’s Socialist-led government has bucked a general trend in Europe and the U.S. by announcing it will grant legal status to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the country without authorization. Sánchez has highlighted the benefits of legal migration to the country’s economy with an aging workforce and low birthrate.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.